


Still Falling For You

by carriemeariver



Category: The Hunger Games (Movies), The Princess Diaries - All Media Types
Genre: also i love this fic, because she is the best and requested this ages ago, for lightning5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 12:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7891852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carriemeariver/pseuds/carriemeariver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Diaries AU... with a twist. With 30 years, a crown, and a long kept secret, Madge finds the future a lot different than she ever planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Falling For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lightning5](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning5/gifts).



> This is the Gadge Princess Diaries AU I have been working on for Lightning5 since like January!!! This fic has become my baby and I am so excited for it!!! I hope you all love it as much as I do!!
> 
> Thank you to Lightning5 aka Denise for the idea/inspiration and THE TITLE!!!!

Part 1

“That’s enough now Portia.” Madge winced as Portia pulled her hair tightly into a bun.

“Yes, your highness.” Portia patted the bun, spraying it with hairspray before bowing out. Effie was there the next minute, chattering on and on about the day’s schedule.

“It’s going to be a busy, busy, busy DAY!” Effie consulted her planner. “First we have breakfast with the king and the head of security has requested that you two meet him after to discuss his successor. Than Peeta says the menu for the charity gala is ready to be reviewed, so I penciled that in for eleven…”

“Effie.” Madge interrupted her shpeal with a hand and a smile. “Please don’t regale me with my day just yet. I haven’t even seen a cup of tea.”

“But Your Highness…”

“Please Effie. Just let me get through breakfast.” Madge stood and straighten her dress, a deep purple because Portia insisted it made her look regal.

Effie closed her planner in a huff. “Of course Your Majesty.”

******

“Is Jamie calling today?” The king, Madge’s husband, asked from his end of the table.

“Yes. Just as he calls every Wednesday.” Madge said as she picked up her cup of tea.

“Good. Good.” The rest of the meal was silent, as was their normal interactions. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there used to be a spark. But it had disappeared into the unknown in the last 30 years.

But 30 years ago they were different people.

Simon, the king, stood from his chair, wiping his mouth. “There is a meeting of Parliament tomorrow. I want you to be there.” He said, straightening his tie.

“I’ll have Effie put it on my calendar.” Madge sent him a tight smile over her cup. Simon lingered by the door.

“I’ll see you at our meeting with Asher?”

Madge nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.” The king left and Madge was left to her own thoughts and her tea.

******

“What time is Parliament tomorrow?” Effie asked as she and Madge walked briskly towards the king’s office.

“One. I thought you would know that Effie.” Madge smiled at her assistant.

“Well of course I know that Your Highness! I was just making sure that YOU knew.”

Madge laughed. “Oh I know. When else do I get to sit in a room filled with old misogynistic white males and listen to them rant for five hours?”

Effie chuckled as they reached the door to Simon’s office but stopped Madge before she could open the door. “I do love Wednesdays, Your Highness. It is the one day where you seem truly happy.”

Madge smiled. “I love Wednesday’s too.” She opened the door, with Effie right behind her. Only to stop dead, Effie running into her back with an “oof” as Madge stared, mouth open at the man standing in front of her husband’s desk.

******

Gale. Gale Hawthorne. Gale Hawthorne was standing in front of her.

She was looking at him. He was looking at her.

“Shit.” She hissed quietly through her teeth.

“Magdalena?” Simon stood from his desk, snapping Madge back into reality. She mentally slapped herself and strode into the room.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I had some business to attend to.” She sat primly in the seat set aside for her, no longer looking at Gale.

“Well now that you have arrived, Asher, if you please.” Simon gestured to the man standing next to Gale.

“Thank you, your Majesty.” Asher smiled. “I believe that the time has come for me to step down from my position as head of security and I promised that I would find a replacement I felt would fill my shoes perfectly.”

Simon nodded. “I assume this is your pick?”

“It is indeed. Your Majesty, this is my son, General Gale Hawthorne.” Asher placed his hand on Gale’s shoulder, with a smile so wide Madge thought his face might break. “He has served in Panem’s military for 30 years now.”

Madge felt her throat close up as she thought of those 30 years. She tried to push from her mind the exact day that popped into her mind.

“Born and raised here, at the palace. Knows the place like the back of his hand. Knows all the secret passage ways as well. He tells me they came in handy many times during his youth.”

Madge risked a glance up at Gale, feeling a blush creeping up her neck. She knew those passages quite well too. Gale’s eyes flashed to hers briefly before turning back to the King.

Madge could feel Simon’s eyes on her before he looked back up at Gale and Asher.

“Well General, what makes you think that you are the right candidate for the job?” The king asked, sitting back into his seat.

Madge sat up straighter as she heard Gale’s voice for the first time in 30 years. 30 years since that voice had whispered dirty nothing’s into her ear. 30 years since that voice had woken her up in the morning to feeling warm and safe and loved. 30 years since…

“Madgalena!” Madge startled at the sound of her name.

“Yes?” she cleared her throat, hoping her voice did not sound as high pitched as she thought it did.

“Your thoughts?” Simon gestured towards Gale.

“Oh! Yes! I think he will do very well here. Um, yes… now if you will excuse me… I have… I have to go… see to details of the charity gala.” She stood quickly. “Thank you gentlemen.” She watched as both Gale and Asher bowed their heads as she hurried out of the room.

******

Madge walked as quickly as her heels would let her. Her chest felt tight and her heart was beating fast.

One look at Gale Hawthorne had sent her into a tizzy.

30 years.

The pain was supposed to have left her now. It wasn’t supposed to tear into her and rip apart her insides. She has spent 30 years repairing that wound and now it felt like it had been sliced open and would never ever stop bleeding.

Madge pressed a hand to her chest as she stopped to lean against a pillar, sagging against it.

Just for a moment she allowed her mask to slip. She allowed herself to feel all those feelings she had repressed deep inside of her.

“Your Highness?” Effie’s voice rang from the other end of the long hallway. Madge straightened, sucking in a deep breath.

“Be right there.” She called back, wiping her eyes before slipping her royal smiling mask back onto her face.

******

He looked the same but different.

His dark hair was now peppered with grey, the laugh lines on his face more pronounced. But he looked just as handsome as he did when he left.

And he was sitting across from her. Simon had decided to invite Gale to dinner that night. Madge almost feigned a headache but the young Madge that lurked inside of her pushed her to go. To see him again.

“Our son James is in the Navy.” Simon as saying, taking bites of his filet while talking. “I believe he’s stationed in… in… Where is he again Magdalena?”

“Turkey.” Madge supplied.

“She always knows where he is. One of those mothers you know.” Simon laughed, picking up his wine glass, draining it and gesturing for more.

“I think it’s a good thing that she knows where he is. I always told mine.” Gale said. “It helped her know that I was alive and coming home soon.” Madge looked up at Gale and he sent her a small smile. She couldn’t help the warm feeling in her chest as she saw that smile again. She couldn’t help the small smile she sent back.

Simon cleared his throat. “She loves her boy. That’s for sure.”

“Nothing like a Mother’s love.” Gale cut into his filet. Madge felt her cheeks warm. “Is he due home soon?”

Madge actually looked at him as she started speaking, “He is supposed to coming back in a month and…”

“She’s already planned his whole leave.” Simon interrupted.

“I have not. I am sure he doesn’t want to spend every moment with his old mother.” Madge refuted.

“I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to spend their leave with the Queen of Panem.” Gale raised his wine glass to his lips. “Who, for the record, is not old.” Madge felt a blush creep back up her neck again.

“Well I am sure he has made plans with his friends as well. He’s a bit notorious among the bars in the city.” Simon chuckled.

“I’m sure he is.” Gale answered, cutting back into his steak.

Madge looked at her empty wine glass, trying to block out the memories she had of the bars and the dancing and the touching and the… Madge shook her head, gesturing for more wine.

******

Madge was already in bed, curled up with her book and Jamie’s cat, when Simon came in, smelling of cigars and expensive whiskey.

“Quit biting your nails.” He admonished as he threw his dinner jacket onto a chair.

Madge lowered her hands from her mouth, sighing, than finding the sentence she had left off ready.

“How was Jamie?” Simon asked.

“He was fine. Disappointed that you were not available.”

“Sorry. I had business.” Madge rolled her eyes. Business meant poker and cigars and alcohol with his friends.

She watched Simon out of the corner of her eye as he undressed and prepared for bed. “Shoo!” He waved the cat away, who hissed at him and stalked off into the closet.

“The maid’s didn’t turn down the bed?” He eyed the tightly made side of his bed with a look of distain.

“I asked them not to tonight.” Madge turned back to her book. “Figured it’s not hard to do it ourselves.”

“It is their job.” The king huffed as he jerked the covers back.

Madge rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. “I think we can give them a bit of break from doing every duty in the book.” Madge said.

“I run a country all day. The last thing I want to do is mundane tasks at the end of it.” He plopped onto the bed, disturbing Madge, who was yet again, rolling her eyes.

She went on reading as Simon turned off his light and proceeded to move around until he was comfortable. “Please. Turn off the damn light.” He grumbled five minutes later.

Madge sent the man next to her a glare and proceeded to read a whole other chapter in her book out of spite.

When she finally moved to turn off her light Simon appeared to be asleep. She had just settled down, the covers tucked all around her when he said. “Having General Hawthorne here won’t be a problem will it?”

“You hired him?”

“I did. You won’t have any problems with that?”

Madge curled her fists around the blankets, feeling tears forming in her eyes. “None at all.”

to be continued...


End file.
